The following relates generally to controlling devices and, more particularly, to a controlling device having multiple user interfaces.
Manufacturers typically provide a remote control with an appliance and, as such, different appliance types of different manufacturers are often commanded with different remote controls. To minimize the number of individual remote controls a user requires, universal remote controls have been developed. Accordingly, universal remote controls for commanding various functions of various types of appliances of various manufacturers have become quite widespread. By way of example, universal remote controls are described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,959,810, 5,255,313 and 5,552,917.
For selecting which of multiple appliances a universal remote control is to command, a universal remote control may allow a user to place, i.e., configure, the universal remote control into an operational mode whereby the function keys will be used to transmit commands to a “primary” target appliance that has been associated with that operational mode. For example, a “TV” operational mode may be selected to place the universal remote control into an operational mode whereby function keys are used to transmit commands primarily to a designated television, a “VCR” mode may be selected to place the universal remote control into an operational mode whereby function keys are used to transmit commands primarily to a designated VCR, etc. A universal remote control may also be provided with an ability to be configured in a “home theater” operational mode (i.e., one established to facilitate a particular activity), a “user” operational mode (i.e., one established for a particular user), “room” operational mode (i.e., one established for a particular room), or the like (collectively referred to hereinafter as a “home theater” operational mode). In a “home theater” operation mode, the universal remote control will generally be adapted to command multiple, target appliances. For example, a “home theater” mode may be established whereby volume function keys are used to transmit volume control commands to an amplifier, transport function keys are used to transmit transport control commands to a VCR, channel function keys are used to transmit channel control commands to a cable box, picture control function keys are used to transmit picture control commands to a television, etc. Further, a universal remote control may also be provided with an ability to have certain key groups (e.g., volume or channel controls) permanently assigned to command specific devices regardless of the operational mode currently selected—a so called “locked” state. By way of example, for convenience of a cable subscriber, channel changing keys may be set to always command operation of the cable STB, even if TV device mode is currently selected.
Accordingly, the ability to indicate current key assignments to a user, as well as the ability to alter the appearance and/or layout of the keypad area is advantageous in a universal remote control. In the case of universal remote controls having a display, the various function keys associated with the various operational modes are typically presented to a user in multiple, different user interfaces each comprising one or more displayed soft keys. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2003/0103088 (Ser. No. 10/288,727) discloses a universal remote control application for use in connection with a hand-held device having a display, e.g., a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), wherein the display is utilized to present the user with multiple, different user interfaces with different functional key layouts and iconic representations, each appropriate to the particular type of device (TV, VCR, CD, etc.) currently being controlled. In other cases, such as for example the universal remote control device described in commonly assigned U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2003/0025840 (Ser. No. 09/922,562) a display capability may be utilized to signal to a user which device type a set of common keys is currently assigned to in a home theater or locked state (e.g., volume keys always assigned to amplifier device, channel up/down always assigned to cable STB, etc.). However, while the use of a display advantageously allows a universal remote control to present a user with multiple, different user interfaces, what is needed is a more cost effective means for providing a universal remote control with multiple, different user interfaces.